Server training

You already know that the majority of kids who drink alcohol get it from a parent or a friend’s parent.  While most establishments in the area are responsible about not serving to a minor, it still happens.  Sometimes it is unintentional, meaning that the underage drinker has a realistic fake ID, and sometimes it is a blatant disregard for the law on the part of the establishment. 

The Alton School District has been working with the City of Alton and the Village of Godfrey to have an ordinance that would require mandatory server training for all liquor license holders or their representatives.  Once a liquor license holder receives the training, the certification will be good for five years. 

A meeting has taken place with individuals from the Illinois Licensed Beverage Association.  The committee is discussing various server training options at this time.  The training options are a state sanctioned training program or a program developed on the local level.  Once the server training program is finalized, the ordinance will be introduced.  Typically, it takes a couple of months to get an ordinance passed.  It is our desire to have the ordinance passed in Alton and Godfrey.

It is our intent that the server training will better educate those that serve alcohol and help to make them more aware of the consequences associated with serving to a minor.  Law enforcement agencies will also continue to perform compliance checks as a means of assuring the laws are upheld.  It is the Alton School District’s hope that the training and the compliance checks will be a win-win for everyone involved.